Poinsettia plant named ‘PER16806’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER16806’, characterized by its uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; early season flowering response; inflorescences with pink-colored flower bracts with dark pink-colored speckles; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER16806’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER16806’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘490’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within a population of plants ‘490’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Forest Hills, Md. in November, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Forest Hills, Md. since January, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PER16806’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER16806’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Early season flowering response; under natural season         conditions, plants flower in about 7.5 weeks in Encinitas,         Calif.     -   6. Inflorescences with light pink-colored flower bracts covered         with dark pink-colored speckles.     -   7. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent, ‘490’, primarily in flower bract color as plants of ‘490’ have dark red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Amazone’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,604. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of ‘Amazone’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker green-colored leaves         than plants of ‘Amazone’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Amazone’ under natural season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER16806’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘PER16806’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during the autumn and winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C., night averaged 19° C. and light levels were about 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants were grown in 15.25-cm pots and pinched one time. Plants had been growing for 17 weeks when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER16806’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. ‘490’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Termimal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About five to seven days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading             and mounded plant habit; inverted triangle. Inflorescences             positioned above the foliar plane. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 48 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about seven lateral branches develop after pinching.             Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length:             About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.8 cm. Width: About 8 cm. Shape: Ovate with             occasional shallow lobes. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute.             Margin: Entire; occasional shallow lobes. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, arcuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Darker             than 147B; venation, close to 147C. Petiole: Length: About             5.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to             146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliage.         -   Quantity of inflorescence.—One inflorescence develops per             lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Encinitas, Calif. Inflorescence             initiation and development can also be induced under             artificial long nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions.             Early season flowering habit, plants flower about 7.5 weeks             under natural season conditions in Encinitas, Calif.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and             bract color for about four weeks under interior conditions;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 34 cm. Height (depth):             About 7 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length,             largest bracts: About 16.2 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             12.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin:             Entire; occasional shallow lobes. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Close to perpendicular             to the stem axis; bending back with development. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing or transitional             bracts, upper surface: Close to 11C tinted with close to             50C; venation, close to 146D. Developing or transitional             bracts, lower surface: Close to 50C to 50D; venation, close             to 147D. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to 50B;             speckles, close to 50A; venation, close to 12D. Ground color             becoming closer to 50C with development. Fully expanded             bracts, lower surface: Close to 38D; venation, close to 145B             to 145C. Bract petiole: Length: About 3.8 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About eight. Diameter of             cyathia cluster: About 2.5 cm by 2.8 cm. Length: About             1.2 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature:             Close to 145A. Color, mature: Close to 144A. Nectaries:             Quantity per cyathium: One. Size: About 2 mm by 3 mm. Color:             Close to 2A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             15 to 18. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close             to 2D. Anther shape: Oval; bi-lobed. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Amount of pollen: Moderate.             Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Plants of the new             Poinsettia do not develop pistils. Seed/fruit: Seed and             fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 15° C. to about     30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘PER16806’ as illustrated and described. 